Digital data interface device
The present invention is directed a digital data interface device for transferring digital presentation data at a high rate over a communication link. The digital data interface device includes a message interpreter, content module and a control module. The digital data interface device may include an MDDI link controller. The digital data interface device can be used to control a peripheral device, such as a camera, bar code reader, image scanner, audio device or other sensor. In one example, a cellular telephone having a camera with an MDDI link and a digital data device interface is provided.
1. A digital data interface device for transferring digital presentation data at a high rate over a communication link, comprising:
a message interpreter module that receives commands from and generates response messages through the communication link to a system controller, interprets the messages, and routes the information content of the commands to an appropriate peripheral module within the digital data interface device, wherein the commands comprise camera control functions, wherein the message interpreter module comprises
a message interpreter controller that interprets and generates messages;
a response buffer coupled to said message interpreter controller that buffers response messages;
a command buffer coupled to said message interpreter controller that buffers incoming command messages;
a command buffer controller coupled between said command buffer and the communication link that regulates a flow of incoming command messages from the communication link, identifies a valid command message and detects a new transaction within the valid command message and wherein the command buffer controller further comprises an error detection mechanism that examines a predefined unique identifier associated with a command message to identify one or more missing parts of the command message; and
a response buffer controller coupled between said response buffer and the communication link that regulates a flow of outgoing response messages to the communication link;
a content module that receives data from a camera, stores the data and transfers the data to the system controller through the communication link; and
a control module that receives information from the message interpreter, and routes information to a control block of the camera.
2. A digital data interface device according to claim 1 , wherein the control module receives information from the control block of the peripheral device and routes the information to the message interpreter module.
3. A digital data interface device according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one communication link controller.
4. The digital data interface device according to claim 3 , wherein said at least one communication link controller comprises an MDDI link controller.
5. The digital data interface device according to claim 3 , wherein said at least one communications link controller comprises an MDDI link controller and a USB link controller.
6. The digital data interface device according to claim 3 , wherein said at least one communications link controller comprises an MDDI link controller and a single link for exchanging acknowledgment messages.
7. The digital data interface device according to claim 3 , wherein said at least one communications link controller comprises an MDDI link controller and at least one other link controller.
8. The digital data interface device according to claim 1 , wherein said camera control functions comprise at least one member from the group consisting of a camera lens control, a flash control, a white LED control, an exposure control, and a shutter control.
9. A digital data interface device according to claim 1 , wherein said content module comprises:
a content buffer that stores data;
a read control module that transfers data from the content buffer to the link controller;
a write and sync control module that manages the flow of data from the peripheral device to the content buffer; and
a register block that stores operational parameters that affect the behavior of at least one member from the group consisting of the content buffer, the read control module and the write and sync control module.
10. A digital data interface device according to claim 9 , wherein the write and sync control module further comprises: means for selectively writing some or all of the data received from the peripheral device to the content buffer.
11. A digital data interface device according to claim 9 , wherein the write and sync control module further comprises: means for examining sync pulses contained within the data to determine one or more data boundaries.
12. A digital data interface device according to claim 9 , wherein the write and sync control module further comprises: means for examining at least one of hsync and vsync pulses to determine one or more data boundaries.
13. A digital data interface device according to claim 12 , wherein the write and sync control module further comprises: means for inserting timing information into the data.
14. A digital data interface device according to claim 9 , wherein the register block is coupled to the message interpreter module to receive the operational parameters.
15. The digital data interface device according to claim 1 , wherein said control module, comprises:
a peripheral control block coupled to the control block of the peripheral device that provides access to and control of the control block of the peripheral device; and
a control register block coupled to said peripheral control block that contains registers for said peripheral control block.
16. A digital data interface device for transferring digital presentation data at a high rate over a communication link, comprising:
a message interpreter module that receives commands from and generates response messages through the communication link to a system controller, interprets the messages, and routes an information content of the commands to an appropriate peripheral module within the digital data interface device, wherein the commands comprise camera control functions, wherein the message interpreter module comprises
a message interpreter controller that interprets and generates messages;
a response buffer coupled to said message interpreter controller that buffers response messages;
a command buffer coupled to said message interpreter controller that buffers incoming command messages;
a command buffer controller that comprises an error detection mechanism that examines a predefined unique identifier associated with a command message to detect one or more missing parts within a set of command messages wherein the command buffer controller is coupled between said command buffer and the communication link and regulates a flow of incoming command messages from the communication link, identifies a valid command message and detects a new transaction within the valid command message; and
a response buffer controller coupled between said response buffer and the communication link that regulates a flow of outgoing response messages to the communication link;
a content module that receives data from a camera, stores the data and transfers the data to the system controller through the communication link; and
a control module that receives information from the message interpreter module, and routes information to a control block of the camera.
17. A digital data interface device according to claim 16 , wherein said unique identifier comprises a single bit at the start of a command message.
18. A digital data interface device according to claim 16 , wherein the control module receives information from the control block of the peripheral device and routes the information to the message interpreter module.
19. A digital data interface device according to claim 16 , further comprising at least one communication link controller.
20. The digital data interface device according to claim 19 , wherein said at least one communication link controller comprises a MDDI link controller.
21. The digital data interface device according to claim 19 , wherein said at least one communication link controller comprises a MDDI link controller and a USB link controller.
22. The digital data interface device according to claim 19 , wherein said at least one communication link controller comprises a MDDI link controller and a single link for exchanging acknowledgment messages.
23. The digital data interface device according to claim 19 , wherein said at least one communication link controller comprises a MDDI link controller and at least one other link controller.
24. The digital data interface device according to claim 16 , wherein said camera control functions comprise at least one member from the group consisting of a camera lens control, a flash control, a white LED control, an exposure control, and a shutter control.
25. A digital data interface device according to claim 16 , wherein said content module comprises:
a content buffer that stores data;
a read control module that transfers data from the content buffer to the link controller;
a write and sync control module that manages a flow of data from the peripheral device to the content buffer; and
a register block that stores operational parameters that affect the behavior of at least one member from the group consisting of the content buffer, the read control module and the write and sync control module.
26. A digital data interface device according to claim 25 , wherein the write and sync control module further comprises: means for selectively writing some or all of the data received from the peripheral device to the content buffer.
27. A digital data interface device according to claim 25 , wherein the write and sync control module further comprises: means for examining sync pulses contained within the data to determine one or more data boundaries.
28. A digital data interface device according to claim 25 , wherein the write and sync control module further comprises: means for examining at least one of hsync and vsync pulses to determine one or more data boundaries.
29. A digital data interface device according to claim 28 , wherein the write and sync control module further comprises: means for inserting timing information into the data.
30. A digital data interface device according to claim 25 , wherein the register block is coupled to the message interpreter module to receive the operational parameters.
31. The digital data interface device according to claim 16 , wherein said control module comprises:
a peripheral control block coupled to the control block of the peripheral device that provides access to and control of the control block of the peripheral device; and
a control register block coupled to said peripheral control block that contains registers for said peripheral control block.